Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As of 30 May 2018, Ireland is contributing 643 personnel to nine different missions across the globe. The main overseas missions on which Defence Forces personnel are deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, with 376 personnel and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, UNDOF, in Syria with 137 personnel.

On UNDOF, approximately 130 Defence Forces personnel are currently based in Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side of the area of separation. An additional eight personnel are based in UNDOF headquarters in Camp Faouar on the Syrian side of the area of separation. The planned phase 3 of the UN's intended redeployment of the mission to its full mission area, including to the Syrian side of the area of separation, is anticipated by September 2018. This involves a full return of military personnel, including the Irish contingent, to Camp Faouar.

The UNIFIL mission in Lebanon continues to represent Ireland's largest overseas deployment and on 22 May 2018 the Government approved the continued participation of the Defence Forces in UNIFIL for a further 12 months. Irish troops are serving as part of a joint Irish-Finnish battalion in UNIFIL. Since May 2015, the Finnish contingent has included an Estonian platoon comprising 36 personnel.

Both Finland and Estonia will withdraw from the Irish-Finnish Battalion in UNIFIL on 31 December 2018. I am currently considering the option to temporarily replace the Finnish contingent by increasing Ireland's contribution to UNIFIL for a 12-month period - up to November 2019 - while we source an alternative partner.

The Naval Service vessel LÉ Samuel Beckettis currently deployed as part of Operation Sophia, the Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, operation in the Mediterranean. It will be replaced by LÉ James Joycein July. The Naval Service will deploy for a period of approximately 30 weeks in total to this mission in 2018. 

Other missions on which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the EU training mission in Mali, EUTM, with 20 personnel; the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina with five personnel and the NATO-led international security presence, KFOR, in Kosovo with 12 personnel. Ireland also contributes observers and staff to various United Nations and OSCE missions and personnel to staff appointments at UN, EU, NATO - Partnership for Peace and OSCE headquarters. There are no planned changes to our continued participation in these missions at this time.

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